Coping With Occupational Hazards.docVIP

Coping With Occupational Hazards 　　While working as a miner at the Jiulishan Coal Mine in central China’s Henan Province from 2006， Chen Tao developed a persistent cough which deteriorated progressively. In 2013， the 34-year-old was diagnosed with first-stage pneumoconiosis， a lung disease caused by exposure to certain kinds of dust particles. 　　Pneumoconiosis， also called black lung disease， hit the headlines in China in 2009， when Zhang Haichao， another Henan resident who worked for a local company making fire-resistant materials in Xinmi County， contracted it but could not make his employer pay him compensation. In a bid to prove that he had dust in his lungs acquired during his three years with the company， the then 28-year-old Zhang underwent openchest surgery. 　　After the media took up his case， eventually the company and the local government paid him 615，000 yuan （$91，111）. 　　 Disease and compensation 　　The Law on Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases， which was amended in July 2016， stipulates that companies must provide work injury insurance for employees. The work injury insurance fund must cover treatment expenses as well as compensation for those diagnosed with occupational diseases. 　　An injured worker could receive compensation equal to seven to 27 times the monthly salary based on the severity of the injury or disease. If the employing company does not pay for the insurance， it will be responsible for all medical expenses. 　　Despite the law， the real situation remains complicated. Employees have to provide documents， including proof of employment， health check results and workplace risk evaluations， before they can apply for an occupational disease diagnosis. 　　“In many cases， employers refuse to hand over the documents， and some small factories do not even conduct regular health checks and workplace risk evaluations for their employees，” said Yu Wenlan， a health expert with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.